October 16, 2024

Museo di San Marco: history, works and curiosities

We discover the ancient convent that houses Beato Angelico's masterpieces in central Florence

Siamo nell'antico convento domenicale di piazza San Marco, dove si trova il Museo di San Marco, testimonianza palpabile di un Rinascimento netto e luminoso . Varcata la porta della biglietteria, si entra in un’altra dimensione dove il tempo sembra fermarsi. Il convento ospita la più grande collezione di opere del Beato Angelico e alcune delle principali opere rinascimentali fiorentine, come ad esempio la Madonna con Bambino di Paolo Uccello, il Cenacolo del Ghirlandaio o il ritratto di Savonarola di Fra Bartolomeo.

We are in the ancient Dominican convent of Piazza San Marco, home to the Museo di San Marco, a tangible testament to a clear and luminous Renaissance. Upon passing through the ticket office door, one enters another dimension where time seems to stand still. The convent houses the largest collection of works by Beato Angelico and some of the most important Florentine Renaissance masterpieces, such as Madonna and Child by Paolo Uccello, The Last Supper by Ghirlandaio, and the portrait of Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo.

The pretext for the visit is the Pala di Santa Trinita, the marvelous Deposition by Beato Angelico, which, after a long and complex restoration process, returns to display in the new room dedicated to the painter. Here, visitors will have the opportunity to admire the masterpiece and appreciate the results of this important conservation effort.

The Deposition will be on display in the Beato Angelico Room until September 2025, when it will become one of the key works in the major exhibition Angelico—the first dedicated to the artist in Florence in over seventy years, following the 1955 monographic exhibition. This highly anticipated event will take place at Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco, curated by Carl Brandon Strehlke alongside Angelo Tartuferi and Stefano Casciu.

An unmissable journey, the exhibition will feature loans from some of the world's most important museums and institutions, made possible through the collaboration between the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, the Regional Directorate of National Museums of Tuscany under the Ministry of Culture, and the Museo di San Marco. The latter will host sections dedicated to Angelico's early works and miniatures, as well as offering visitors a path through the painter-monk’s renowned frescoes.

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Works to see in the Museum of San Marco

Ground floor

The visit begins with the Cloister of Sant’Antonino, a harmonious blend of greenery and serene stone that invites silence. Surrounding it stands the convent, which also includes a second cloister, that of San Domenico, part of the convent still inhabited by Dominican friars and not accessible to the public. The original complex was built for the Silvestrines around 1300.

In 1437, Cosimo financed the renovation of the convent, which had passed to the Dominicans, and commissioned Michelozzo—trusted architect of the Medici family and more skilled than Brunelleschi in true restoration work—to reconstruct the convent according to the most modern Renaissance principles. The definitive consecration took place on the night of Epiphany in 1443. Cosimo invested a significant sum in the reconstruction, spending over 40,000 florins; Michelozzo repaid him by creating what remains today a true architectural masterpiece, in addition to the artworks it houses. We walk through rooms and cells, following a chronological thread.

A visit that feels almost like a journey through time, and one that begins—ça va sans dire—with Beato Angelico. The illustrious Dominican is present on the ground floor, but he is also the undisputed protagonist of the upper level. His fresco, positioned opposite the entrance, depicts Saint Dominic’s devotion to Christ, standing out against a stunning lapis lazuli blue. Also dedicated to the friar-painter is the Sala del Beato Angelico, entirely redesigned for the museum’s 150th anniversary and also known as the Ospizio. This room houses several stunning altarpieces and predellas by Beato Angelico. A particularly noteworthy stop is the Pala dei Linaioli, commissioned by the Florentine guild of linen weavers for their headquarters. This masterpiece celebrates the art of wool and textiles through draperies—adorning Mary, Jesus, and the saints—with an almost three-dimensional perfection.

Another key highlight of the ground floor is the Great Refectory, the space where the Dominican friars carried out their daily lives. Dominating the room is the fresco by Giovanni Antonio Sogliani, painted in 1536, which is surrounded by works from the School of San Marco. Sogliani’s fresco depicts the Providence of the Dominicans, showing friars who, having run out of food, are miraculously saved by angels. This theme is quite different from the traditional Last Supper, which was typically painted in monastery dining halls. The fresco had already undergone restoration in the 1970s, led by Dino Dini, due to damage caused by the devastating Florence flood of November 1966. However, with the latest restoration work completed in 2024, the fresco has finally regained its original splendor.

No less significant is the Small Refectory, which was used by pilgrims staying temporarily at the convent. This room is adorned with Domenico Ghirlandaio’s Last Supper, painted in 1486. According to legend, Ghirlandaio only prepared the drawing, while the fresco was executed by his brother Davide Ghirlandaio and his brother-in-law Sebastiano Mainardi. The visit continues through three key rooms: The Sala di Fra' Bartolomeo, home to a portrait of Savonarola; The Sala dello Stendardo, where visitors can admire Pollaiolo’s Madonna del Beccuto; The Communication Rooms, which lead to the Cloister of San Domenico.

Second floor

At the top of the stairs leading to the third corridor, we are greeted by an Annunciation—clean and sharp like an arrow. The figures have delicate faces, their garments are magnificent, and the colors create a sequence so perfectly composed that it feels almost divine. Continuing down the third corridor, we come across the Library, where once again Michelozzo’s genius shines through—his ability to reimagine spaces with absolute simplicity, yet never in a trivial way. Further along are the private rooms of Cosimo, who frequently retreated here, understandably drawn to the peace of the convent. To the left of the Annunciation lies the corridor reserved for the senior friars: 21 small cells, each one revealing—door after door—a stunning fresco within.

The first floor was entirely created by Michelozzo, where he designed the friars' cells and the library. The cells were frescoed by Beato Angelico, but the idea originated in the mind of Antonino Pierozzi, the Bishop of Florence, who served as the prior of the convent between 1439 and 1443. Pierozzi believed there was nothing more educational than art, which he thought would aid the monks in their prayers. In total, there are 44 cells, each depicting various biblical scenes. The Novices' Corridor leads to Savonarola's rooms, which feature a beautiful view of Piazza della Signoria as it appeared in the 1500s, and reveal more works by Beato Angelico. Through these images, the nine ways of Dominican prayer are illustrated. Returning to the lower floor, we discover the rooms dedicated to Fra' Bartolomeo, a devoted follower of Savonarola and the second friar-painter of the Museum. He is credited with a beautiful portrait of the greatest heretic in history, which is preserved here. Recently reevaluated—like the nun-painter Plautilla Nelli, whose large painting is displayed in the Great Refectory of San Marco—Fra’ Bartolomeo stands out for the sweetness of his faces. Studies conducted in recent years will surely reveal even more remarkable discoveries about his work.

History of St. Mark's Museum

The building was erected in the 1300s to house the Benedictine Silvestrine Congregation, which was expelled in 1418 on charges of decay in the monastic rule. The monastery was then handed over to the Dominicans, thanks to the help of Cosimo de' Medici, who sought to re-establish the Dominican community in Florence. Restoration work was carried out between 1437 and 1443. During this period, Beato Angelico stayed at the monastery, where he frescoed the monks' cells. In 1489, the structure became the residence of Girolamo Savonarola, who stayed there until 1498, the year he was condemned to be burned at the stake. His harsh battle against the licentious customs of the Florentines and his public sermons had made him enemies, including Pope Alexander VI Borgia. The convent was expropriated in 1808 and returned to the Dominicans only with the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. However, it was once again confiscated in 1866, leaving the friars with only the church and the wing facing the cloister. In 1869, the structure’s artistic significance was finally recognized, and through restoration work, Beato Angelico’s frescoes were rediscovered. In 1906, the Museum of Ancient Florence was established, and in 1922, Giovanni Poggi gathered all the works by Beato Angelico he could find, creating the collection that is still on display today.